Civil Justice Task Force

Civil Justice Task Force:

Co-Chairs
Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP is an international law firm with branches in the United States and internationally, with headquarters in Kansas City, MO. Shook, Hardy & Bacon has expertise in corporate litigation related to climate change, nanotechnology and pressures on global water supplies as well as in tort reform. They represent coal and other energy industry companies in efforts to prevent the enacment of legislation to curb carbon pollution. Philip Morris, now Altria Group, is a longtime client; as are pharmaceutical companies Eli Lily and Company, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, Guidant and Wyeth; Sprint Nextel; and Microsoft. In 2010, Shook, Hardy & Bacon's PAC gave $5,400 to Republicans and $500 to Democrats. In addition to Victor Schwartz's active participation in ALEC activities, fellow partners Mark Behrens and Phil Goldberg have been Advisors to ALEC's Civil Justice Task Force.
 * Bill Seitz (R-OH), Public Sector Chairman
 * Victor E. Schwartz (Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP), Private Sector Chairman

Corporate, Trade or Other Group Members

 * Mark A. Behrens (Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP), Advisor
 * Phil Goldberg (Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP), Advisor
 * Christopher E. Appel (Attorney, Public Policy Group, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP), Advisor
 * Charles E. Ross (Shareholder Attorney, Wise Carter Child & Caraway, P.A.), Advisor, former "Public Sector Advisor"
 * Kirk Dillard (Illinois State Senator and Partner, Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP), Chair, 2008 Civil Justice Task Force Spring Summit
 * National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), Member
 * Foundation for Fair Civil Justice, Partner Organization
 * G. Edward Pickle (Senior Government Affairs Counsel, Shell Oil Company), Member

Politician Members

 * Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-KS), Civil Justice Task Force Executive Committee member
 * Del. Bill Howell (R-VA), Former "Public Sector Chairman" (2010)
 * Scott Pruitt (Oklahoma Attorney General, former Republican State Senator of Oklahoma), Former "Public Sector Chairman" (2004)
 * Marvin Kleeb (R-KS), Member
 * Justin Amash (R-MI), Member
 * Sen. Dennis D. Pyle (R-KS), Member
 * Rep. Michael R. O'Neal (R-KS), Member
 * Sen. Debra Plowman (R-ME), Member
 * Sen. Adam Driggs (R-AZ), Member
 * Rep. Jan Angel (R-WA), Member (2009-2010)
 * Judge Richard A. Bandstra (Michigan 3rd Court of Appeals through January 2003), Former "Public Sector Chairman" (year unknown) when he was a Michigan state representative from Grand Rapids (1985-1994)
 * Gregory A. Brower (United States Attorney for the District of Nevada, former Nevada State Legislator), Former Member

Staff

 * Amy Kjose, Director
 * Brian Weynand, Legislative Assistant
 * Kristin Armshaw, Former Director (2005)
 * Mike Hotra (Senior Vice President, APCO Worldwide), Former Director (prior to 1998)
 * Stephanie Linn, Legislative Assistant (2010)
 * Andrew Vanderput, Legislative Assistant (2009)